NEW! By Barry Rubin

“There have been many hundreds of books for and against Israel but no volume presenting the essential information about its domestic politics, its society, as well as its cultural life and its economy. This gap has now been filled.”—Walter Laqueur, author of A History of Zionism

"[An] essential resource for readers interested in learning the truth about the Zionist project in the 20th and 21st centuries."—Sol Stern, Commentary

“Offering in-depth perspectives with encyclopedic breadth on the makeup of the Jewish state, focusing only briefly on Israel's struggle for self-preservation. The section "History" provides a masterful summary of Israel's past from its socialist beginnings before independence to the modern struggles with the Iranian regime. . . .”—Publishers Weekly

“A well-written portrait of a vibrant nation at the center of turmoil in the region.”—Jay Freeman, Booklist

"It is indeed just a starting point, but Israel: An Introduction, if disseminated among our universities to the extent it deserves, will at least allow students of the Middle East and of Jewish history to start off on the right foot. A glimpse into the real Israel may do more for the future of U.S.-Israeli relations than any amount of rhetoric ever could."—Daniel Perez, Jewish Voice New York

Written by a leading historian of the Middle East, Israel is organized around six major themes: land and people, history, society, politics, economics, and culture. The only available volume to offer such a complete account, this book is written for general readers and students who may have little background knowledge of this nation or its rich culture.

About Me

Barry Rubin was founder of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center--now the Rubin Center--and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. See the GLORIA/MERIA site at www.rubincenter.org.

Recent Rubin Reports

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A reader has remarked that America seems so polarized, so deadlocked that he finds it hard to believe that the United States can return quickly (ever?) into being a great power, in the sense that is usually defined. Another reader thinks that the US has objectively declined in economic and, well, civilizational terms to the point that it cannot make a comeback.

My response is that while there are certainly objective factors, the solution is real willpower and good policies. Never forget that in a democracy a heck of a lot is changed by merely electing a different person to lead the country. If either Hillary Clinton or John McCain had been elected we probably wouldn't be having any of these conversations over how terrible is the foreign policy, much less all the domestic issues. That doesn't mean everything would be perfect--not by a long-shot and especially given economic woes--but the train wouldn't have gone so far off the tracks.

Of course, there are deeper, longer-term factors involved but that's why elections are so important: they decide who is going to deal with the problems and how they should do so.

Remember, too, that the loudest voices and activists on both sides--much less both extremes--are minorities. The mass of the people is able to move from one side to the other as they think appropriate and as they are persuaded by experience and arguments.

Also remember that the US has been through this kind of thing before. The Vietnam syndrome existed when reaction against the war there made America reluctant to engage internationally. But then there was a pendulum swing. Jimmy Carter was followed by Ronald Reagan. The radical 1960s (most accurately, 1966-1972) were followed by big-hair and discos in the 1970s. George W. Bush was followed by Barack Obama. And so on.

The same applies to the other contenders for international leadership. The Soviet Union, which challenged America for almost half a century, is no more. Japan, an economic though not a strategic power, has fallen by the wayside. Europe, which was supposed to eclipse the United States, is in serious trouble and sabotaging its own development. China and India have a very long way to go with a huge number of things that could go wrong along the way.

America is the country of rapid change and new beginnings, over and over again.